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Nahar Net
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame
by Naharnet Newsdesk 13 July 2025, 12:38 Gaza ceasefire talks hung in the balance as Hamas and Israel on Saturday accused the other of blocking attempts to strike a deal, nearly a week into an attempt to halt 21 months of bitter fighting in the Palestinian territory. A Palestinian source with knowledge of the indirect talks in Qatar told AFP that Israel's proposals to keep its troops in the war-torn territory were holding up a deal for a 60-day pause. But on the Israeli side, a senior political official, also speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivities of the talks, accused the militants of inflexibility and deliberately trying to scuttle an accord. On the ground, Gaza's civil defense agency said at least 38 people were killed across the territory on Saturday, including in an overnight air strike on an area sheltering the displaced. "While we were sleeping, there was an explosion... where two boys, a girl and their mother were staying," Bassam Hamdan told AFP after the attack in an area of Gaza City. "We found them torn to pieces, their remains scattered," he added. In southern Gaza, bodies covered in white plastic sheets were brought to the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis while wounded in Rafah were taken for treatment by donkey cart, on stretchers or carried. In Tel Aviv, thousands took to the streets urging the government to seal a hostage release deal. "The window of opportunity... is open now and it won't be for long," said Eli Sharabi, who was freed in February. Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 hostages held since the militants' October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war would be released -- if an agreement is reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was prepared then to enter talks for a more permanent end to hostilities. - Enclave plans? - But one Palestinian source said Israel's refusal to accept Hamas's demand for a complete withdrawal of troops from Gaza was holding back progress in the talks. A second source said mediators had asked both sides to postpone discussions until U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in the Qatari capital. The first source said Israel was proposing to maintain its military in more than 40 percent of the Palestinian territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a small area near the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. "Hamas's delegation will not accept the Israeli maps... as they essentially legitimize the reoccupation of approximately half of the Gaza Strip and turn Gaza into isolated zones with no crossings or freedom of movement," they said. Israeli media reported that new maps would be presented on Sunday, quoting an unnamed foreign official with knowledge of the details. A senior Israeli political official countered later that it was Hamas that rejected what was on the table, accusing the group of "creating obstacles" and "refusing to compromise" with the aim of "sabotaging the negotiations". "Israel has demonstrated a willingness to show flexibility in the negotiations, while Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that prevent the mediators from advancing an agreement," the official added in a statement sent to AFP. The Hamas attacks on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths of at least 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Of the 251 hostages seized, 49 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 57,882 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. - Military operations - The Israeli military said on Saturday it had attacked "approximately 250 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip" in the previous 48 hours. It said fighter jets hit "over 35 Hamas terror targets" around Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. Two previous ceasefires -- a week-long truce beginning in late November 2023 and a two-month one from mid-January this year -- saw 105 hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The second Palestinian source said "some progress" had been made in the latest talks on plans for releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and getting more aid to Gaza. Netanyahu, who is under domestic and international pressure to end the war, said this week that neutralizing Hamas as a security threat was a prerequisite for any long-term ceasefire talks. That included disarmament, he said, warning that failure to do so would mean Israel would have to do so by force.
New Straits Times
13-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame
GAZA CITY: Gaza ceasefire talks hung in the balance as Hamas and Israel on Saturday accused the other of blocking attempts to strike a deal, nearly a week into an attempt to halt 21 months of bitter fighting in the Palestinian territory. A Palestinian source with knowledge of the indirect talks in Qatar told AFP that Israel's proposals to keep its troops in the war-torn territory were holding up a deal for a 60-day pause. But on the Israeli side, a senior political official, also speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivities of the talks, accused the militants of inflexibility and deliberately trying to scuttle an accord. On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 38 people were killed across the territory on Saturday, including in an overnight air strike on an area sheltering the displaced. "While we were sleeping, there was an explosion... where two boys, a girl and their mother were staying," Bassam Hamdan told AFP after the attack in an area of Gaza City. "We found them torn to pieces, their remains scattered," he added. In southern Gaza, bodies covered in white plastic sheets were brought to the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis while wounded in Rafah were taken for treatment by donkey cart, on stretchers or carried. In Tel Aviv, thousands took to the streets urging the government to seal a hostage release deal. "The window of opportunity... is open now and it won't be for long," said Eli Sharabi, who was freed in February. Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 hostages held since the militants' October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war would be released — if an agreement is reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was prepared then to enter talks for a more permanent end to hostilities. But one Palestinian source said Israel's refusal to accept Hamas's demand for a complete withdrawal of troops from Gaza was holding back progress in the talks. A second source said mediators had asked both sides to postpone discussions until US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in the Qatari capital. The first source said Israel was proposing to maintain its military in more than 40 per cent of the Palestinian territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a small area near the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. "Hamas's delegation will not accept the Israeli maps... as they essentially legitimise the reoccupation of approximately half of the Gaza Strip and turn Gaza into isolated zones with no crossings or freedom of movement," they said. Israeli media reported that new maps would be presented today (July 13), quoting an unnamed foreign official with knowledge of the details. A senior Israeli political official countered later that it was Hamas that rejected what was on the table, accusing the group of "creating obstacles" and "refusing to compromise" with the aim of "sabotaging the negotiations." "Israel has demonstrated a willingness to show flexibility in the negotiations, while Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that prevent the mediators from advancing an agreement," the official added in a statement sent to AFP. The Hamas attacks on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths of at least 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Of the 251 hostages seized, 49 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 57,882 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The Israeli military said on Saturday it had attacked "approximately 250 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip" in the previous 48 hours. It said fighter jets hit "over 35 Hamas terror targets" around Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. Two previous ceasefires — a week-long truce beginning in late November 2023 and a two-month one from mid-January this year — saw 105 hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The second Palestinian source said "some progress" had been made in the latest talks on plans for releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and getting more aid to Gaza. Netanyahu, who is under domestic and international pressure to end the war, said this week that neutralising Hamas as a security threat was a prerequisite for any long-term ceasefire talks. That included disarmament, he said, warning that failure to do so would mean Israel would have to do so by force. — AFP
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame
Gaza ceasefire talks hung in the balance as Hamas and Israel on Saturday accused the other of blocking attempts to strike a deal, nearly a week into an attempt to halt 21 months of bitter fighting in the Palestinian territory. A Palestinian source with knowledge of the indirect talks in Qatar told AFP that Israel's proposals to keep its troops in the war-torn territory were holding up a deal for a 60-day pause. But on the Israeli side, a senior political official, also speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivities of the talks, accused the militants of inflexibility and deliberately trying to scuttle an accord. On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 38 people were killed across the territory on Saturday, including in an overnight air strike on an area sheltering the displaced. "While we were sleeping, there was an explosion... where two boys, a girl and their mother were staying," Bassam Hamdan told AFP after the attack in an area of Gaza City. "We found them torn to pieces, their remains scattered," he added. In southern Gaza, bodies covered in white plastic sheets were brought to the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis while wounded in Rafah were taken for treatment by donkey cart, on stretchers or carried. In Tel Aviv, thousands took to the streets urging the government to seal a hostage release deal. "The window of opportunity... is open now and it won't be for long," said Eli Sharabi, who was freed in February. Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 hostages held since the militants' October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war would be released -- if an agreement is reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was prepared then to enter talks for a more permanent end to hostilities. - Enclave plans? - But one Palestinian source said Israel's refusal to accept Hamas's demand for a complete withdrawal of troops from Gaza was holding back progress in the talks. A second source said mediators had asked both sides to postpone discussions until US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in the Qatari capital. The first source said Israel was proposing to maintain its military in more than 40 percent of the Palestinian territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a small area near the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. "Hamas's delegation will not accept the Israeli maps... as they essentially legitimise the reoccupation of approximately half of the Gaza Strip and turn Gaza into isolated zones with no crossings or freedom of movement," they said. Israeli media reported that new maps would be presented on Sunday, quoting an unnamed foreign official with knowledge of the details. A senior Israeli political official countered later that it was Hamas that rejected what was on the table, accusing the group of "creating obstacles" and "refusing to compromise" with the aim of "sabotaging the negotiations". "Israel has demonstrated a willingness to show flexibility in the negotiations, while Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that prevent the mediators from advancing an agreement," the official added in a statement sent to AFP. The Hamas attacks on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths of at least 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Of the 251 hostages seized, 49 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 57,882 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. - Military operations - The Israeli military said on Saturday it had attacked "approximately 250 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip" in the previous 48 hours. It said fighter jets hit "over 35 Hamas terror targets" around Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. Two previous ceasefires -- a week-long truce beginning in late November 2023 and a two-month one from mid-January this year -- saw 105 hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The second Palestinian source said "some progress" had been made in the latest talks on plans for releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and getting more aid to Gaza. Netanyahu, who is under domestic and international pressure to end the war, said this week that neutralising Hamas as a security threat was a prerequisite for any long-term ceasefire talks. That included disarmament, he said, warning that failure to do so would mean Israel would have to do so by force. bur-az-dsm-phz/ysm
The Advertiser
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Thousands demonstrate in Israel for hostage deal
Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war. Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war. Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war. Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war.
The Sun
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Gaza truce talks stall as Israel and Hamas trade blame
GAZA CITY: Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked as both sides blame each other for the lack of progress. The negotiations, mediated in Qatar, aim to pause 21 months of conflict in Gaza but face obstacles over troop withdrawals and territorial control. A Palestinian source familiar with the discussions told AFP that Israel's proposal to maintain military presence in parts of Gaza is delaying a potential 60-day truce. Meanwhile, an Israeli official accused Hamas of inflexibility, claiming the group is deliberately obstructing an agreement. On the ground, violence continues. Gaza's civil defence reported at least 38 deaths on Saturday, including from an airstrike on a displacement shelter. 'We found them torn to pieces, their remains scattered,' said Bassam Hamdan, a witness to the attack in Gaza City. In southern Gaza, hospitals received casualties as medical teams struggled with limited resources. In Tel Aviv, thousands protested, urging the government to secure a hostage release deal. 'The window of opportunity is open now and it won't be for long,' said Eli Sharabi, a freed hostage. Hamas insists on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a demand Israel rejects. Palestinian sources say mediators have paused talks until a US envoy arrives in Qatar. Israel reportedly plans to present new territorial maps, but Hamas has dismissed them as legitimising occupation. An Israeli official countered, stating Hamas refuses to compromise, while Israel has shown flexibility. The conflict, sparked by Hamas's 2023 attack, has claimed over 57,882 Palestinian lives, mostly civilians, and left 49 hostages still in captivity. Military operations persist, with Israel targeting Hamas sites in northern Gaza. Previous ceasefires saw hostage-prisoner exchanges, but Netanyahu insists on Hamas's disarmament before long-term peace talks. - AFP
